Agricultural Equipment Operators

Agricultural Equipment Operators score 0 out of 100, which is low exposure to AI. That ranks #876 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 17 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 0 on its own and 0 more with extra software built on top of it. None of its tasks showed up in real AI use in April–May 2026.

0/ 100

Low

Rank: #876of 923 jobs
US workers: 28,500BLS, May 2025
Median pay: $41,730a year
In real AI use: 0 of 17tasks, April–May 2026

Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

AI can speed this up on its own: 0 (0%)
AI can speed this up with extra software: 0 (0%)
Little or no AI speed-up: 17 (100%)

Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Adjust, repair, and service farm machinery and notify supervisors when machinery malfunctions.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Load hoppers, containers, or conveyors to feed machines with products, using forklifts, transfer augers, suction gates, shovels, or pitchforks.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Direct and monitor the activities of work crews engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Operate towed machines such as seed drills or manure spreaders to plant, fertilize, dust, and spray crops.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Weigh crop-filled containers, and record weights and other identifying information.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Walk beside or ride on planting machines while inserting plants in planter mechanisms at specified intervals.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Drive trucks to haul crops, supplies, tools, or farm workers.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Guide products on conveyors to regulate flow through machines, and to discard diseased or rotten products.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Position boxes or attach bags at discharge ends of machinery to catch products, removing and closing full containers.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Irrigate soil, using portable pipes or ditch systems, and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task

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This job is already among the least exposed in its field.

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Questions about agricultural equipment operators and AI

Will AI replace agricultural equipment operators?

Unlikely. Most of the work is hard for today's AI to speed up. Agricultural Equipment Operators score 0 out of 100 (low exposure), #876 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 0 of the job's 17 tasks, 0 of them on its own, while 17 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which agricultural equipment operators tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers"; "Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery"; "Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Not much yet. None of the job's tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude in April–May 2026, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as agricultural equipment operators, and what do they earn?

About 28,500 people in the US, with median pay of $41,730 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.

Agricultural Equipment Operators

Task by task

Similar jobs, lower exposure

Other jobs in this field

Questions about agricultural equipment operators and AI

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